This invention relates to reels or spools, typically comprising a shaft provided with a pair of axially spaced annular rims, for the packaging or containment, and shipping or storage of products or materials of substantial length, such as wire or cable, cordage, hose, textiles and like articles.
Plastics have become a common substitute for wood in the construction of reels in the smaller sizes and/or for lighter duty service. However, the manufacture of plastic reels by injection molding or other conventional forming techniques is complex and costly, or requires the formation of a number of separate components therefor and their complex assembly and joining of parts. Moreover, many of the currently available low-cost plastic reels are so wanting in strength and durability as to preclude their use in many common types of service such as packaging of wire or cable for shipment or for containing a feed supply of material in production operations under factory conditions. High strength plastic reels, on the other hand, frequently contain so much plastic material in their more massive structures so as to render them as expensive as the costly wooden reels.